Hospitality Design: What I've Learned

Hospitality Design
  • 4.9 (46)
  • DESIGN
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
Hospitality Design: What I've Learned

In this series, Hospitality Design magazine's editor in chief Stacy Shoemaker Rauen talks with influential hotel and design leaders on how they got to where they are today, what drives them, and their biggest lessons learned navigating an ever-changing industry. 

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Sam Fox

    Born in Chicago and raised in Arizona, Sam Fox’s early experiences working in his parents’ diners, Mexican restaurants, and delis shaped his understanding of the industry. He dropped out of the University of Arizona, where he was studying real estate finance, to pursue his passion, using his tuition money to open his first restaurant—all before he turned 21. Now, with a vast portfolio of successful eateries, Fox has taken on a new challenge with the opening of the Global Ambassador, a luxury ...

    42 min

  2. OCT 9

    John Meadow, LDV Hospitality

    Raised for much of his childhood in Connecticut before moving to New York as a teenager, John Meadow developed a love for hospitality at a young age. He got his start as a dishwasher and sandwich maker at Au Bon Pain before attending Cornell’s hotel school. By 24, he opened his first restaurant, and in 2008, launched Scarpetta, which won accolades for its refined yet unpretentious take on Italian dining. As president and founder of LDV Hospitality, Meadow has built an empire that spans m...

    50 min

  3. SEP 25

    My Nguyen, Holland America Line and Seabourn

    Settling in Seattle as a Vietnamese refugee, My Nguyen began her 22-year design career as an intern for Holland America Line followed by nearly nine years at NB Design Group. Now, Nguyen leads the interior design and interior asset management teams for Holland America Line and Seabourn fleets.Through her commitment to sustainability, Nguyen has pushed boundaries in the cruise industry, transforming design processes to focus on environmental responsibility. Whether leading a design team or tac...

    49 min

  4. SEP 11

    Juan Bremer, Xala

    Juan Bremer has a deep connection to nature that has shaped his journey into the world of luxury hospitality. Growing up as the son of an ambassador, Bremer’s early years were a whirlwind of cultures, spanning Moscow, Germany, and Mexico. (Today, he splits his time between Mexico and Italy.) This multicultural upbringing instilled in him an appreciation for diverse environments and languages, a foundation that continues to influence his philosophy around development.Bremer’s creative spirit w...

    51 min

  5. AUG 29

    David Montalba, Montalba Architects

    Born in Florence and raised between Switzerland and Northern California, David Montalba, founder of Montalba Architects, was exposed to many different cultures growing up, which is evident in his work today from the rustic yet refined Whitepod eco-chalets in Monthey Switzerland to the bespoke Nobu Palo Alto in California.Today—with offices in Santa Monica, California; New York; and Lausanne, Switzerland—his multidisciplinary firm is celebrated for their thoughtful balance between modernity an...

    43 min

  6. AUG 13

    Eric Papachristos, A Street Hospitality Group

    Eric Papachristos, who lived in Greece before returning to the U.S. at age 10, spent his life in restaurants, working at his father's diner as a dishwasher. It made sense, then, that his path would lead him back to hospitality after earning a degree in finance.With a keen eye for collaboration, Papachristos joined forces with celebrated chef Jody Adams to open Greek restaurant Trade Boston in 2011. Thirteen years later, he has grown his empire to count 10 restaurants under his A Street Hospit...

    48 min

  7. JUL 31

    Karen Herold, Studio K Creative

    After a 13-year stint at Chicago firm 555 International, Karen Herold, who grew up in Holland, went out on her own, founding Studio K Creative in 2014. A decade since she launched her firm, Herold has made a name for herself with a portfolio that includes restaurants for BOKA Restaurant Group like chef Stephanie Izard’s Girl and the Goat in Chicago and Los Angeles and BIÂN wellness cub in Chicago. Next up is a heli-ski project that marries Herold’s luxury background with the great outdoo...

    1 hr

  8. JUL 16

    Michael Pandolfi, Nora Liu-Kanter, and Tim Rooney, JBI

    The industry lost an icon when architect and designer Jeffrey Beers passed away earlier this year at age 67 after a battle with cancer. But Jeffrey Beers International (JBI), the New York practice Beers founded in 1986, will uphold his visionary legacy and continue to shape the hospitality design sphere under the guidance of newly appointed partners Michael Pandolfi, Nora Liu-Kanter, and Tim Rooney.At the time Pandolfi joined the firm in 2000, JBI resembled a carefree artists’ studio more tha...

    1h 6m
See All (150)

4.9
out of 5
46 Ratings

About

In this series, Hospitality Design magazine's editor in chief Stacy Shoemaker Rauen talks with influential hotel and design leaders on how they got to where they are today, what drives them, and their biggest lessons learned navigating an ever-changing industry. 

Information

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada